Pre-Gig Bars in Birmingham

There's only one way to make the best gig of your life just a little bit better: visiting the best pre-gig bars in Birmingham. Found near Birmingham's music arenas and well within walking distance, these bars are a great place to settle those pre-gig nerves; you might even be surprised to find that the gig you're heading to, is right downstairs! Check out our recommendations for some of the best pre-gig bars in Birmingham.

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useful for your night out!

Another bar practically en route to O2 Academy, The Victoria is one of Birmingham's most unique boozers. Clad with whimsical pieces, a grand whisky selection and some of the coolest locally commissioned art in town, The Victoria is awash with gig friendly punters nearly every night of the week.

We don't know if anyone has told you yet, but Moseley happens to be one cool hubbub of indie music and live antics. With The Bull's Head all of five doors down the road, The Prince of Wales is a buzzing venue to kick off gigging proceedings. Join them in their secret garden tiki bar and let them whip you up a cocktail storm as treasure trunk cocktail sharers go down a treat before the first band starts.

What goes well with a gig in Birmingham? Craft beer! But a walk away from both Institute and O2 Academy, Brewdog is a popular craft beer bar in Birmingham known for its cool urban vibes and plethora of quirky beer options.

Ten minutes away from notorious music venue The Hare and Hounds, Cherry Reds is a charming little venue for drinks before the riffs and bass go wild. For fans of the kitsch , cosy and comfortable, Cherry Reds promise a chipper selection of craft beers, cask ales and international wines that simmer you down before you go barmy when the band come on.

One of Digbeth's coolest bars, Spotlight bar is a great spot for an urban tipple or three before you make your way to one of Birmingham's biggest music venues, Institute. Brimming with vintage quirks and underground vibes, you'll more than likely pick up on a few other pre-giggers settling in for a drink at this bar before the show begins just around the corner.

But a stone's throw away from the O2 Academy, fans of cocktails and unique bevvies alike should have cool cocktail hangout, Island Bar, in their sights. Head to the Island Bar before the gig for tailor-made cocktails and cool tiki themed vibes thanks the bar's exotic decor that's secured it a place as one of the best cocktail bars in town.

Fancy going for a drink before the gig but don't fancy going all that far to find it? Well then, how about a drink in the gig venue itself? Perfectly poised by the Birmingham canal, The Flapper is a renowned Birmingham pub and home to Brum's alternative crowd. Grab a drink upstairs and peruse the canal's sights before heading downstairs for raucous amps and grand acoustics.

If you're heading to a gig at indie music bar The Sunflower Lounge, then you're more than likely to be heading for a drink at The Sunflower Lounge. Just a pitter patter away from Birmingham's New Street Station, The Sunflower Lounge boasts an upstairs downstairs split. This means that while you wait for the gig to start downstairs, you can have a cheeky tipple at the bar upstairs.